Steam clothes-washer



(No Model.)

0. BOAZ.

STEAM CLOTHES WASHER.

No. 349,140. Patented Sept.- 14, 1886.

I-NVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Phutvllhographur, WzshIngh-m, ELC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES BOAZ, on UTICA, ILLINOIS.

STEAM CLOTH ES-WASH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,140, datedSeptember 14-, 1886,

Application filed November 14, 1885. Serial No.182.820. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES BOAZ, of Utica, in-the county of La Salleand State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved SteamClothes-Washer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention consists in a novel apparatus or utensil for steamingclothes for the purpose of cleansing them, substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a partly-sectional plan of the apparatus; Fig. 2, avertical longitudinal section upon the line x in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 avertical transverse section on the line y y in Fig. 1.

A is an oblong or other suitably shaped boiler adapted to stand upon astove or range.

B is a clothes box or receptacle of somewhat smaller area than theboiler, so that when inserted in the boiler it will leave a vacantspace, 8, between its lateral exterior and the lateral interior of theboiler, for the purpose of introducing down between the boiler and theclothesbox a loose deep cover or case, 0, extending up above the boilerand the clothes-box, and constructed with a reservoir or chamber, 1), inits upper portion.

The clothes-box B, which is provided with a removable lid, 0, has itssides extended some little distance, say three and a half inches, moreor less, below its bottom d, which is thickly perforated, as at 6. Onlya small quantity or depth of water, it, say two inches, more or less, isintroduced into the bottom of the boiler whenusing the apparatus, sothat when the clothes-box B is inserted down within the boiler A theraised perforated bottom d of the box is above the water in the boiler.This forms a steam-space, f, beneath the perforated bottom within thelower extended portion of the sides of the box, which rest upon.

the bottom of the boiler. The combined cover and reservoir O I), whenthe apparatus is in use, also rests by its lower edges on the bottom ofthe boiler A, thus virtually forming a water-sealed joint, whichprevents escape of steam or evaporated suds up or from within the sidesof the apparatus.

The apparatus being placed over the fire, with the clothes to becleansed placed in the box B, the reservoir 1) in the cover 0 is chargedwith cold water, 1). Theheating or boiling of the water a in the bottomof the boiler generates vapor or steam, which, passing up through theperforated bottom (I of the clothesbox, permeates and thoroughlycleanses the clothes in said box. As the steam rises through theclothes, it passes through perforations g in the upper part of theclothesbox to the space in the cover Oimmediately beneath the reservoirb, and is condensed by the cold water v in the reservoir, thuspreventing the steam from passing into the room. A safety-tube, h, ispassed up through the reservoir, opening below into the space above theclothes-box, to avoid all possibility of danger from confinement of thesteam, especially in case of neglect to fill or keep the reservoir 1)charged with cold water. An opening in the'top of the reservoir, coveredby a lid, serves to charge the reservoir with cold water, and a faucet,i, in the side of the reservoir to draw the water off when required.

The following results are produced by the use of the apparatus, ashereinbefore described: Little or no steam will escape from theapparatus to steam the house. But a very small quantity of water isneeded to cleanse the clothes. by steam, and do not come in contact withthe water, so that there is no dirty water to run into the clothes andmake them yellow or discolored. The steam, too, has a bleaching actionon the clothes, making those which are white retain their color. Afterthe clothes are put in the washing or steaming apparatus, no furtherattention is necessary till they are ready to be taken out. Ashereinbefore observed, the cold-water reservoir condenses the steam andprevents its escape into the room. Soap, too, is economized. By the timethe washing or steaming of the clothes is completed the water in thereservoir, unless a repeated supply of fresh cold water be made, Will besufficiently heated to allow of it being used for sudsing the clothes,thus dispensing The clothes are washed exclusively with separate vesselson the stove expressly charged with water for the purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus or utensil for washing clothes by steam, thecombination. with the boiler A and the inner clothes-box, 13, having araised perforated bottom, of the interposed cover or case 0, providedwith an upper coldwater reservoir, Z1, essentially as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

2. In the within-described apparatus or utensil for washing clothes bysteam, the cover 01 case 0, having an upper cold-water reser voir orchamber, 7), provided with a steam outlet or tube, 71, passing down andthrough it, substantially as specified.

cover or case, 0, the sides of which extend between the boiler andclothes-box, and rest upon the bottom of the boiler, said coveror casebeing provided with an upper cold-water reservoir or chamber, I), abovethe clothes-box, cssentially as shown and described.

(llliArlt LlIS BOAZ.

itnesses:

